1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system diagnostics, and more particularly to a system and method for reserving information handling system battery charge to perform diagnostics.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
As information handling system components have grown increasingly capable, consumers have trended towards selecting systems having reduced size and increased portability. One example of this trend is the increased selection of portable information handling systems by consumers for both home and business use. Portable information handling systems are self-contained systems that include all components needed for operation in a portable chassis. For example, portable information handling systems typically integrate an LCD panel in a rotationally-coupled lid to present information visually to an end user. As another example, portable information handling systems typically include wireless networking capability so that an end user can communicate through networks without being tied to a hardwired network connection, such as Ethernet. As another example, portable information handling systems typically include an internal battery as a portable power source for powering the system without being tied to a hardwired power source, such as an electrical socket. These internal batteries are generally rechargeable, such as lithium-based batteries, and replaceable, such as by sliding the battery into and out of a bay formed in the portable information handling system chassis. The portable information handling system typically has an external power adapter that plugs into a wall socket and converts AC power into DC power that is provided to the portable information handling system power subsystem for both running the information handling system and recharging the internal battery.
Although internal battery power provides end users with greater flexibility in the use of portable information handling systems, it also adds some complexity to the maintenance of the information handling system. For example, to conserve battery power, portable information handling systems typically use a variety of power states, such as those defined by ACPI, that are determined based on end user inputs to the system. Power subsystems typically monitor the charge present in the battery and warn end users to shut down the system or connect an external charger if the charge reaches a predetermined level, such as ten per cent of total battery power. If the battery charge becomes further depleted, portable information handling systems will typically automatically shut down to a predetermined power down state in order to prevent damage to the system and loss of end user data. For example, if the power subsystem detects that approximately three per cent of the battery's charge remains, the system typically enters a “sleep mode” in which information stored in RAM is placed into the hard disk drive or other permanent storage and the system is completely shut down. Once power becomes available again, such as by interfacing with an external power source or inserting a charged battery, the system will recover using the “sleep mode” information stored on the hard disk drive. A difficulty that arises with this arrangement is that power down to a sleep mode might result from a system failure that prevents or inhibits recovery of the information handling system, making diagnosis of the problem difficult.